Mr. Chairman overrules Romance is Diane in Cal Cup Classic

Mr. Chairman overrules

Romance is Diane in Cal Cup Classic

Great Friends Stable's MR. CHAIRMAN (Unusual Heat) returned off a near

18-month layoff earlier this year, having made his last start a third-place

finish in the 2006 California Cup Starter H. The five-year-old gelding has

proceeded to rack up a 7-4-2-1 mark this season, culminating in a head

victory in Sunday's $250,000

California Cup Classic H. over Santa Anita's Pro-Ride. Rallying down the

center of the track under jockey Michael Baze, Mr. Chairman just barely caught

8-5 favorite Romance is Diane (In Excess [Ire]) in the shadow of the wire to

finish the 1 1/8-mile feature on Cal Cup Day in 1:47 4/5.

By just getting his head in front on the line, Mr. Chairman gave

trainer Doug O'Neill his first Cal Cup Classic win since Sky Jack won the 2000

running by 4 1/2 lengths. Appropriately enough, it was the retired O'Neill

trainee Lava Man who led the post parade to the gate for the Classic.

Mr. Chairman was sent off the 3-1 third choice in the eight-horse field and

returned $8.40, $3.80 and $2.80 to his supporters while keying $1 exotics worth

$13.80 (exacta), $32.40 (trifecta) and $122.20 (4-5-1-3 superfecta). Romance is

Diane, winner of last year's Cal Cup Matron,

was never far off the pace early before grabbing the lead in the stretch. She

just lost in a heartbreaker, and rewarded her supporters with $3.20 and $2.40.

Add Heat (Unusual Heat), fifth in last year's Cal Cup Classic, finished a length

back in third to give back $2.60 as the 3-1 second pick.

Top This and That (Old Topper), One Chin Again (Beau Genius), South Coast

(Flying Continental), Top Emblem (Old Topper) and Cheroot (Smokester) completed

the order under the wire.

Bred by David Abrams and Tom Roberts, Mr. Chairman is out of the winning

Chairwoman (Corporate Report), making him a full brother to 2006 Cal Cup Matron

third-placer Bardy Woman, an unraced sophomore colt named Bling Star Dreams and

a yearling colt. The dark bay gelding was making his black-type debut in this

event and has now accumulated $338,578 from a 12-5-2-3 record.

In an 11-1 upset, Jack Burk's homebred SWIFT WINDS (King of the Hunt) overtook

last year's Cal Cup Classic winner Bold Chieftain (Chief Seattle) in the stretch

and went on to post a length victory in the $175,000

California Cup Mile H. for trainer Victor Garcia. Alonso Quinonez was

holding the reins on the bay five-year-old, who was third in this event last

year but has now racked up his third straight win. Swift Winds finished up the

firm turf test in 1:33 4/5 to improve his mark to 29-7-3-3 and increase his

earnings to $386,594.

FAMOUS RUBY (Western Fame) took full advantage of Romance is Diane's absence

in the $150,000

California Cup Matron H., rallying from near the back and just getting her neck in front at the line to score

her first stakes victory with Joel Rosario aboard. Owned and trained by Jorge Alcala, the three-year-old lass defeated her elders when finishing up 1 1/16

miles in 1:43 2/5 as the near 17-1 second longest shot in the field. Famous

Ruby, who also had Rosario in the irons for her last win, was third in an

allowance/optional claimer at Fairplex prior to this one and boosted her

earnings to $129,200 to go along with a 7-3-0-1 mark.

Richard J. O'Neill's LIGHTMYFIREBABY (Unusual Heat) tracked just off the pace

in the $150,000

California Cup Distaff H., came out in the stretch and managed to pull off

the half-length victory to give Rosario his second win on Cal Cup Day. Trainer

Barry Abrams saddled the dark bay five-year-old to finish about 6 1/2 furlongs

on the downhill turf in 1:12 2/5, resulting in her third stakes victory of the

year. A winner of the Las Cienegas H. (G3) in April via disqualification,

Lightmyfirebaby just missed by a head in the Daisycutter H. prior to this one

and now owns a 23-6-5-2, $444,437, record.

Kjell Qvale's homebred TRIBESMAN (Tribal Rule) captured the Phoenix Gold Cup

H. in February and the California State

Fair Sprint H. at Sacramento on August 30, but earned most lucrative win to date

when posting a wire-to-wire, 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000

California Cup Sprint H. With Russell Baze in the irons, the Roger Hansen

trainee made all the running in the six-furlong Pro-Ride event, stopping the

teletimer in 1:07 4/5. The four-year-old Tribesman was making his Santa Anita

debut in this spot, and now sports a 15-8-1-2 lifetime mark to go along with

$376,781 in earnings.

Augustin Stable's SAUCEY EVENING (More Than Ready) broke her maiden over

Colonial Park's turf, but didn't enjoy any success on Del Mar's Polytrack in her subsequent

two starts. The Graham Motion charge turned all that around with a 2 3/4-length

win in the $125,000

California Cup Juvenile Fillies S. as jockey Garrett Gomez guided the

chestnut juvenile through 1 1/16 miles on the Pro-Ride in 1:43. Saucey Evening

adds this first black-type win to a second in the C.T.B.A. S., and now boasts a

4-2-1-0, $116,740, record. J B K Stable and Jason Litt's LUCKY PRIMO (Atticus)

gave jockey Rosario his third and final victory on Cal Cup Day Sunday when

scoring by 1 1/2 lengths in the $125,000

California Cup Juvenile S. The Martin Jones-trained bay broke his maiden two

back at Del Mar, and entered this one off a close third in the I'm Smokin S. By

finishing 8 1/2 furlongs in 1:43 1/5 on the Pro-Ride, Lucky Primo improved his

line to 4-2-0-1 with $119,104 in earnings.

Scott Gross and Harris Farms' DISTANT VICTORY (Distant View) returned to the

winner's circle with a 1 1/4-length score in the $100,000

California Cup Distance H. under Victor Espinoza. Conditioned by Carla

Gaines, the bay sophomore strung together three wins before finishing third in

the Torrey Pines S. in her stakes bow last out. In this one, the filly stretched

out to 1 1/4 miles, stopping the clock in 2:01 3/5 on the turf, and is now

undefeated on the green. Distant Victory began her career with a third (placed

second via disqualification) in a Hollywood Park maiden over the Cushion Track,

and her loss in the Torrey Pines came on Del Mar's Polytrack. She's banked

$199,596 so far during her 6-4-1-1 career.

Also on the card, GUTS (Unusual Heat) lived up to his name when eking out a head score in the $50,800

California Cup Starter H.

in a final time of 2:29 1/5 for 1 1/2 grassy miles, while KOOL COMIC (Comic

Strip) was a clear 2 3/4-length winner of the $51,200

California Cup Starter Sprint H. when going six furlongs in 1:08 on the

Pro-Ride.